Chapter 1

Qingzhou, the financial center of Asia.

The night rain envelops the colorful neon lights in the hazy water curtain, and the river wind is wet, wrapped in the cold chill unique to the southern winter.

On the bank of the river, in the world-renowned tallest building, the annual financial ceremony is in full swing.

In front of the rostrum, the deputy governor of the central bank was talking about the theme of this forum. "At present, Chinas economy has entered a new normal. Chinas financial industry must adapt to the new normal and lead the new normal. The key lies in accelerating the pace of reform and opening up, further increasing support for the real economy, and continuously improving financial services..."

In the audience more than ten meters away, Zhou Xi leaned back in a relaxed posture, holding a pen casually between her fingers, with a calm and indifferent expression.

She had just heard the same content in Singapore last month. Not only her, but many participants have heard it, but what does it matter? Tonight, financial industry bigwigs gathered here. Who really wants to discuss the new normal of finance?

The phone on the right side of the chair vibrated slightly.

Zhou Xi picked up the unlock button and looked down at WeChat: [Mr. Zhou, Minister Gu is on the way and will arrive in about 15 minutes]

Zhou Xi: [Wait for me downstairs]

Two minutes later, she left the venue and walked straight to the elevator.

The elevator quickly came down from the upper floor. With a ding, the door slowly opened, and there was only a man inside.

Seeing her, the mans eyes moved slightly, raised his hand, and pressed the door-opening button very gentlemanly.

There was a vibration in her palm, she lowered her eyes slightly, and saw a new message in the WeChat dialog box: [I saw Ji Yutong from KR in the lobby. She is not a participant, why is she here? ]

Zhou Xi raised her eyes and looked at the man who was waiting patiently. He was tall and straight, with handsome features, a pair of thin-rimmed glasses on his high nose bridge, a pure black three-piece custom suit with a dark-patterned tie of the same color, matte silver cufflinks and collar clips, and he was low-key and exquisite everywhere, gentle and handsome.

She turned off the screen of her phone, nodded slightly to show her gratitude, and stepped into the elevator.

The man released his fingers and the door slowly closed.

A beautiful figure appeared on the mirror door, with beautiful and delicate makeup, red lips and fair skin. She wore a slim grey knee-length dress, which outlined her beautiful figure, well-proportioned and slender calves, and a pair of mid-heeled shoes on her feet.

The elevator went down at high speed, and the sound of the machine running could be heard in the quiet and closed car, and there was a faint fragrance floating in the air.

The two eyes met at the door of the car, Zhou Xis eyes did not move, and the man was also gentle and calm. It was like an unexpected stranger looking at each other in the vast crowd, but no one looked away.

About two minutes later, the elevator reached the first floor.

When the prompt sounded, Zhou Xi retracted her gaze, and the man still politely blocked the door for her and asked her to get off first.

Zhou Xi did not say anything polite and walked out first.

As soon as she entered the hall, a slightly fat man strode up to her. It was Zhang Muzhi who sent her a message a few minutes ago.

"Mr. Zhou." He called her.

Zhou Xi nodded, but before she spoke, he paused for a moment, then smiled and shouted behind her, "Mr. Ning!"

His voice was upbeat and enthusiastic.

Zhou Xi didnt look back, but she could sense a clear breath approaching. The next moment, a deep voice sounded beside her, "Mr. Zhang."

She turned her head and looked at the person who came, but didnt speak.

In contrast, Zhang Muzhi on the side was full of enthusiasm, "Boss Ning, I want to introduce you to my boss, Zhou Xi, the head of Hongsheng China, Boss Zhou."

"Boss Zhou, this is the famous KR Investment CEO and founding partner Ning Yan, Boss Ning."

Zhou Xi looked up, met the mans smiling eyes behind the lens, and stretched out her hand, "Boss Ning, we meet again."

Ning Yan held her slender palm, "Boss Zhou, long time no see."

The conversation between the two bosses surprised Zhang Muzhi, "Do you know each other?"

"Who doesnt know Boss Ning?" Zhou Xi asked jokingly.

The founder of KR Group, one of the top ten private equity funds in the world, holds a trillion-dollar fund and has cultivated many unicorn companies. He is recognized by LPs and the industry as the most influential investor.

Hearing that the two knew each other, Zhang Muzhis tone became less polite, "So you have met before. I have been wondering when I will have the opportunity to introduce you, the Midas Touch, to our President Zhou."

Ning Yan retracted his hand and fell to the side of his pocket, with a gentle smile on his face, "I am rude, I should have visited President Zhou a long time ago."

"President Ning is too polite." Zhou Xi also smiled.

Zhang Muzhi was about to take over and make an appointment for the two bosses, when a clear female voice suddenly came from behind, "President Ning."

He recognized the voice and looked back. It was indeed Ji Yutong, the deputy director of KR Investment Department, whom he had met a few minutes ago. He smiled and greeted her.

Ji Yutong returned the greeting, but his eyes fell on Zhou Xi, "Is this President Zhou?"

"Hongshengs CEO and partner Zhou Xi." Ning Yan took the initiative to introduce.

"Hello, Mr. Zhou." Ji Yutong shook Zhou Xis hand enthusiastically, "I have heard of you for a long time, and today I finally meet you in person."

"Hello."

"I have seen your speech video, it is very exciting." Ji Yutong further explained, "It is your speech at the Asian Financial Summit."

After she mentioned it, Zhang Muzhi immediately remembered what the video was. It was the first month after Zhou Xi returned to China to take over Hongsheng. She was invited to attend the Asian Financial Summit held in Qiongzhou as a keynote speaker and delivered a keynote speech that shocked the industry, which made her famous in the domestic capital circle.

Unfortunately, at that time, he was leading an overseas merger and acquisition project in Indonesia and was unable to see her style at the first time. By the way, the other widely praised guest that time was...

Just as this thought flashed through his mind, Zhang Muzhi heard Ji Yutong say, "Our President Ning was also a guest, do you remember?"

Zhou Xi: "Remember."

Zhang Muzhi sighed, "It is said that the world is small and big. The headquarters of KR and Hongsheng are obviously on the same street, but after so long, we have never met each other once. I came all the way to Qingzhou and met again..."

With Ji Yutong talking to him, the atmosphere instantly became warm.

In the magnificent hotel atrium, the bright and beautiful four people were also particularly conspicuous, attracting many eyes coming and going. However, just after chatting for a few words, Zhang Muzhi and Ji Yutongs mobile phones vibrated one after another. The two glanced at the screen, and then gave their bosses a look at the same time.

Ji Yutong said first: "Mr. Zhou, Mr. Zhang, Im sorry, the guest we invited has arrived."

Zhang Muzhi followed: "We also have something to do."

Ning Yan looked at Zhou Xi: "Mr. Zhou, I have something to do today. Lets talk next time."

Zhou Xi: "Okay."

The four said goodbye to each other.

Zhang Muzhi saw them heading straight to the hotel gate, and a trace of alert flashed through his mind, "The person KR is waiting for is not Minister Gu, right?"

Zhou Xi stared at the tall back, "It shouldnt be."

Two minutes later, her inference was confirmed.

A black Audi with a Qingzhou public license plate stopped at the door. Ning Yan personally stepped forward and opened the back door to welcome an older man. It was not Minister Gu, but older, with a calm and peaceful face.

Zhou Xi raised his eyebrows slightly, and Zhang Muzhi also frowned to search for the identity of the visitor.

Not far away, Ning Yan had already walked in with the man, talking and laughing, and went to the VIP building on the left.

Zhang Muzhi: "This man looks familiar."

Zhou Xi: "Where is Minister Gu?"

"Secretary Huang said hes at the intersection ahead."

Zhou Xi nodded and took him to the door to wait.

There was still drizzle in the sky, and the temperature difference between indoors and outdoors was huge. Zhang Muzhi, who was only wearing a suit, felt the coldness after standing for a while. He tilted his head to look at Zhou Xi again. She was wearing a thin cashmere dress and bare calves...

"Boss Zhou, are you cold?" he asked.

Zhou Xi: "Not bad."

Zhang Muzhi shrank his neck and remembered an old joke, beautiful but freezing.

A few minutes later, another black Audi stopped at the door. When the car stopped, Zhang Muzhi quickly stepped forward and opened the door of the back seat.

Zhou Xi greeted him with a smile, "Minister Gu."

"Little Zhou, why are you waiting outside?"

"Our President Zhou said that he didnt expect to meet you when he came to Qingzhou for a meeting. This coincidence is rare, so we must cherish every minute of seeing you to live up to the arrangement of fate." Zhang Muzhi pointed out Zhou Xi with a joke, which was of course Hongshengs sincerity and respect for him.

Minister Gu raised his hand and pointed at him, but his eyes turned to Zhou Xi, "This little Zhang has a sweet mouth. Did you give him too much candy?"

Zhou Xi pretended to be serious, "I didnt give him candy, but I can consider letting him open an internal training class on eloquence when I go back, just talk about how to speak so that the minister feels sweet."

Minister Gus eyes curved and laughed, "I think you can also go to class..."

Several people entered the hall talking and laughing. Zhou Xi accompanied Minister Gu in front, while Zhang Muzhi deliberately lagged behind two steps and walked side by side with Secretary Huang.

Seeing the two leaders in front gradually getting to the point, Zhang Muzhi patted Secretary Huangs arm, and the two of them looked at each other, and everything was self-explanatory.

Coincidence? Fate?

**

The night wind brought drizzle, knocking on the car window, making rustling sounds.

In the black Mercedes-Benz sedan, Zhou Xi sat in the back seat with his eyes closed.

Zhang Muzhi in the front row turned his head back slightly: "Minister Gu seems very satisfied with our proposal."

Zhou Xis expression did not change, and he continued to listen to him, "The losses in the first two periods were too much, and they will definitely be very cautious this time. We still have to spend some time on the design of the bid, so that other companies cannot complain about unfairness, and it must be beneficial to ourselves. However, according to the profit points calculated before, few companies should have the confidence to undertake it..."

"What about KR?" Zhou Xi asked suddenly.

KR? Zhang Muzhi narrowed his eyes, "Normally, it shouldnt be, but if they are like us, they are actually looking at..."

Zhou Xi tilted her head to look at the night outside the window, and a gentle face wearing glasses slowly emerged in front of her.

What if?

She pulled the corner of her mouth and closed her eyes.

**

The hotel they stayed in was not far from the venue. After Zhou Xi returned to her room, she went to the bathroom to take a hot bath. When she finished washing and applied body lotion, the doorbell rang.

She tied a bathrobe, walked to the door in slippers, and opened the door after getting close to the cats eye to see who was coming.

Outside the door, the corridor lights were scattered.

The man stood at the door with one hand in his pocket. His suit and tie had been untied and placed on his arm. He was only wearing a white shirt. The originally neat collar was loose, revealing a piece of cold white skin, and his straight collarbone could be seen faintly.

Behind the thin-rimmed glasses were his shiny black pupils, very beautiful eyes, very beautiful facial features, and a natural good appearance.

After looking at his face for a while, Zhou Xi finally met his eyes, "Long time no see?"

A shadow fell, and a breath with a hint of alcohol enveloped her, accurately sealing her lips, "A day is like three autumns."

The man took away her hand holding the door handle, and Zhou Xi was held by him on the waist, held in his arms, and kissed and pushed back into the house.

The door closed behind him.